


Day 2 3am

by Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright



Series: The Ghostly Adventures of Eli Sanchez [2]
Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux, Sidewinder Series - Abigail Roux
Genre: Angst ahead, Ghost Eli, Pre cut and run, because, well Nick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 04:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21293639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright/pseuds/Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright
Summary: Eli gets an unexpected visitor. He really should’ve expected Nick to go into detective mode
Series: The Ghostly Adventures of Eli Sanchez [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539568
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	Day 2 3am

**Author's Note:**

> Ok another prompt. I’ll probably do the others in random order because I kinda want to go chronologically through the series and there are some prompts that fit perfectly with certain bits.
> 
> If this ones a bit angsty, I blame Nick.
> 
> Un betaed so mistakes are all mine

Night time was always the worst which was kind of ironic, Eli thought, after all, wasn’t that when ghosts were  _ supposed  _ to be most active. Well, if so, it was bullshit because, with most people asleep, it was more than a little dull. 

He’d entertained himself earlier in the evening by people watching in the hotel bar. He spent over an hour watching some out of town business man chatting up a glamorous woman who was way out of his league. It’d been further proof that no one could hear him. There were only so many times you could shout in a guys ear ‘dude she’s a hooker’ before you gave up trying to help a brother out. Still the look on the guy’s face when he  _ finally _ worked it out was priceless.

When the bar had closed Eli had mooched around a bit, he’d wandered out to the alley and hung out with Ty cat a bit, who apparently was quite the escape artist. When Ty had gone home Eli had given up and gone back to his room. Fuck he hated that room but, at least for now, he was pretty much stuck there. The only upside was he’d worked out early on that he could turn on the tv. It made sense, in life he’d always been pretty good with technology, not as good as Owen but then  _ no one  _ was as good as Owen. Digger always swore Owen’s skills with computers were some kind of voodoo. Fuck Eli missed his boys.

Even TV got dull in the middle of the night. He hadn’t quite worked out how to change channels yet and there were only so many infomercials you could watch before you’re brain began to melt. Which left him with hours of thinking, the last thing he really needed.

“Hate to break it to you bud but that aint gonna do shit” Eli laughed as he watched a guy with a pronounced gut listening intentently to a ripped guy who claimed he’d got his washboard abs from using an electrode belt every day. 

“That dude,” Eli pointed at ripped guy, “he’s getting paid on how may he sells. Seriously, ain’t gonna happen bud..”

The crowd cheered at something ripped guy said so loud Eli nearly missed the scratching sound at the room door. Nearly. Cocking his head he listened again and this time he heard the unmistakable sound of someone fiddling with the tape. Shit, someone was coming in. 

Using all his concentration Eli switched off the TV and glanced around the room, before realising that there was really no need to hide what with him being a ghost and all.

He had a few seconds of watching the door, wondering who the fuck would be coming into an active crime scene at 3am. He really hoped it wasn't Henniger coming to gloat because, honestly, there was only so much a guy could take and he was getting close to his limit. He wondered if poltergeists were a real thing, wondered if he could be a poltergeist ‘cos if it was that bastard he’d really like at the very least to be able to throw something.

The door opened and illuminated a face he knew far too well.

“Rico…” 

He should've realised it was only a matter of time before Nick O’Flaherty turned up, it was still a shock to see him. Nick paused at the doorway flipping the key card in his hand, glancing around the room, his face pale, jaw tight. Nick shook his head and retrieved the manilla file he had tucked under his arm, clearly the case file. Eli wondered briefly how he’d even got the file, let alone been able to get into the room before remembering this was Lucky he was talking about. He knew exactly how he'd done it, by charming the fuck out of everyone in his way. That thought alone made Eli smile. At least it did until he looked at the expression on Nick’s face. He knew that look far too well. Nick was blaming himself, just like he always did, for something that wasn't his fault.

“Oh no you don't O. This is not your fault.” Eli moved towards Nick as he spoke. There was no reaction from the man. Eli glared up “Dios, no. This ain't right. I can't watch him go and do this and not be able to...fuck, too much big guy, too much”

Nick had crouched down, his gloved hand touching the blood stain on the carpet; Eli’s blood, the place where he died

“I'm sorry, Eli, I'm so fucking sorry,” Nick’s hand shook, his shoulders slumping as he seemed to curl in on himself

“NO! You don't get to do this. This one ain’t on you.” Eli shouted, fuck if he could just concentrate enough maybe he could  _ make  _ Nick hear him.

Nick stood, dragging his eyes away from the blood stain and start to move around the room. Every movement was methodical and careful. Occasionally he'd stop and jot down something in a notebook. Eli watched it all, he couldn't drag his eyes away. Nick looked exhausted, his expression pained, dark circles under his eyes. He looked thinner than the last time Eli had seen him, when they were laughing and joking over a beer when Eli had visited Boston. Nick’s eyes had lit up, bright emerald green back then, tonight they were dull and lifeless. Nick looked like a man on the edge.

“Rico, come on man. I know this is hard but you gotta know this is my fault, not yours. I'm the dumbass that fell for Henniger’s schoolboy act.” Eli couldn't stop talking, couldn't stop hoping that somehow he'd get through to his best friend. 

“There has to be something.” Nick cried out, his every word laced with anguish and frustration. “I can't let him down again.”

“You never let me down Rico, never.” Eli stood right in front of him, desperate to be heard, “you could never let me down”

Nick swallowed hard then glanced over his shoulder one last time. When he looked back he looked so hopeless it damn near broke Eli. 

Eli was still pleading with him to listen when Nick walked straight through him and out of the room.

“No,no,no,no!” Eli crumpled to the ground, disoriented and distraught. 

By the time he managed to get out the room Nick was long gone, the crime scene tape carefully replaced as if it had never been disturbed


End file.
